Redress for Los Angeles city workers, and the push for S 2116

Vol. 98, No. 4, February 3, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress led the front page. The Los Angeles city council’s Finance and Revenue Committee endorsed a measure to pay $5,000 each to 35 former Nikkei city employees who were forced to resign or take leave in 1942. Ron K. Ikejiri reported on Senator Spark Matsunaga’s Capitol Hill briefing, where John Tateishi of JACL spoke to representatives of 45 civil and human rights organizations about redress bill S 2116. An editorial praised the work of individual JACLers on redress, from Reno to New Jersey to Texas.

Elsewhere in the issue, Kats Kunitsugu reviewed the Japanese film “Chiheisen (Horizon)” and its portrayal of the Issei and Nisei, and a page 8 feature told of a novel based on a Nisei husband’s years in Pinedale, Tule Lake, and Minidoka. Former Manzanar residents announced a reunion for Labor Day weekend, and Harry Honda continued tracing where the name Little Tokyo first appeared in print. Bill Marutani, Bill Hosokawa, and Irene Hirano also contributed columns.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• L.A. City Likely to Pass Redress Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles city council’s Finance and Revenue Committee endorsed a measure to pay $5,000 each to 35 former Nikkei city employees who were forced to resign or take leave in 1942. The measure, introduced by David Cunningham and backed by JACL testimony, differs from similar measures elsewhere by allowing surviving spouses and children to apply on behalf of deceased employees.
• Matsunaga Holds Redress Briefing for Civil and Human Rights Community, by Ron K. Ikejiri, page 1. Senator Spark Matsunaga hosted a Capitol Hill briefing for over 65 representatives of 45 civil and human rights organizations to build support for redress bill S 2116. Speakers included John Tateishi of JACL, Angus Macbeth of the Commission on Wartime Relocation, and Ralph Neas of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, who pledged top legislative priority to the redress bills.
• Ex-Manzanites Set Labor Day Weekend, page 3. Former residents of the Manzanar Relocation Center are planning a reunion banquet on Sept. 1 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, chaired by Toy Sato. An informal gathering will follow on Sept. 2 for former internees to renew acquaintances.

National

• Korean Women Marry American Soldiers to Enter Country as ‘Prostitutes,’ Say News Media, page 1. News outlets including a Tacoma newspaper and ABC’s 20/20 portrayed Korean women who marry U.S. servicemen as prostitutes seeking quick entry to the U.S., drawing sharp protest from Korean American organizations. The Seattle-Washington State Korean Assn. compared the coverage to historical scapegoating of Japanese Americans during WWII internment.
• Koreans: 20/20 Response Called Insulting, page 9. Bok-Lim Kim, who protested ABC’s 20/20 segment portraying Korean women as marrying GIs for immigration fraud, called the network’s response to her complaint “horrendously insulting.” ABC defended its reporting, saying the year-long investigation had cooperation from Korean and U.S. governments and that it would continue pressing for documentation of the network’s claims.

Community

• Wyo. Governor Honors Issei, 104, page 2. Tatsuhei Tsuda of Cheyenne, Wyoming was honored by Governor Ed Herschler and the Wyoming Commission on Aging upon turning 104. Tsuda came to the U.S. at 18, arrived in Wyoming 60 years ago, and worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 35 years.
• San Gabriel Valley JACLer Shot in S.D., page 2. George A. Yanase, 52, a supervising attorney for the state Dept. of Corporations and San Gabriel Valley JACL member, was found shot to death in a San Diego motel parking lot on Jan. 26. He was apparently the victim of an attempted robbery while attending a convention.
• JACL Chapter President Runs for Seat on Torrance, California, City Council, page 2. George Sakaye Nakano, founder of the Torrance JACL chapter, is running for Torrance city council in the March 6 election and would be the first Asian American on the council if elected. Nakano, an assistant principal, cites the city’s growing Asian American population as motivation for his candidacy.
• Hirata Challenges Incumbent Tsukahara for Spot on Gardena City Council, page 2. All five incumbents and challenger Norm Hirata, a Torrance attorney, filed nomination papers for the April 10 Gardena municipal election. Hirata said his goal is to be “the people’s representative,” while incumbents including Paul Tsukahara and James Cragin reaffirmed their commitment to the city.
• Senior Citizens to Celebrate New Year, page 3. Bay Area Japanese American Senior Centers will host a Shinnen Kai on March 10 at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, featuring entertainment, crafts, and bento from Satsuma and Gombei restaurants. The event is organized by officers Ivy M. Down, Mari Okamura, and Ich Nishida representing 14 member organizations.
• Oregon Senior Citizens to Celebrate Social Service Program Anniversary, by Peg Sargent, page 3. Portland’s Ikoi-no-kai Nutritional Program celebrates its fifth anniversary with a Feb. 12 reception at Epworth United Methodist Church. The program, which grew out of a community survey identifying needs among older Nikkei, now serves an average of 50 people daily with meals, transportation, and social activities.
• New Senior Center Planned for San Jose, page 3. Yu-Ai Kai, Japanese American Community Senior Service, is opening a new social center in San Jose’s Japantown in early spring for seniors 65 and older. The center will offer tailored programs for seniors with minor disabilities, including recreational activities, health education, and transportation.
• Nikkei Bar Assn. Installs New Officers, page 3. The Japanese American Bar Association (JABA) swore in new governors on Jan. 22 at the California Yacht Club, with Ronald Ito becoming president. Outgoing president Leslie Furukawa praised committee members for their work on issues including redress, law student liaison, and lawyer referral services.
• Electric Company Grants $250,000 to U/Hawaii, page 3. Hawaiian Electric Co. announced a $50,000 annual contribution for five years to a University of Hawaii fellowship program in renewable energy engineering named after Sen. Spark Matsunaga. The Hawaiian Electric Industries Foundation will administer the Matsunaga Fellows program.
• 1984 Chapter Installations, page 6. Multiple JACL chapters including Hollywood, Riverside, San Mateo, Downtown L.A., Florin, Selanoco, Cincinnati and others held installation dinners and ceremonies in late January and early February, swearing in new officers for 1984. Guest speakers included KPIX news producer Dianne Fukami and various JACL officials.
• Olympic Champion Lee Addresses Selanoco; Ken Inouye Re-elected, page 6. Olympic gold medalist diving coach Sammy Lee spoke at the Selanoco JACL’s 19th annual installation dinner, praising the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and recounting his own experiences with racial discrimination. Ken Inouye was re-elected chapter president for his second term, and chapter service awards were given to several members.
• Seikan Tunnel Topic at Earth Sci Meet, page 6. Dr. Takeo Susuki of UCLA’s Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences will discuss the newly linked Seikan Tunnel between Honshu and Hokkaido at a Feb. 3 West L.A. JACL Earth Science Section meeting. Susuki will share his personal experiences witnessing the tunnel’s completion on Jan. 26.
• NCWNP to Host Meeting Feb. 5, page 6. The N. Calif./W. Nevada/Pacific JACL district will meet at Maple Hall Community Center in San Pablo on Feb. 5, discussing the 1984 budget and a fund-raiser for the coram nobis legal team. Chapters unable to attend must notify the regional office in advance.
• Hawaiian Language School for Tots Set, page 10. A privately run Hawaiian language learning center for preschool children, Halau Likolaulani O Hawai’i, is set to open in Honolulu, funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The program will include 18 children taught by Hawaiian-speaking kupuna (grandparents), with enrollment limited to those with at least 50% Hawaiian blood.
• Hawaii-Born Sumo Stars in Spotlight, page 12. At the 1984 grand sumo tournament in Tokyo, Maui-born Takamiyama (Jesse Kuhaulua) extended his record as longest-surviving wrestler in the top makuuchi division at age 39. Sharing the spotlight was 18-year-old newcomer Konishiki (Saleva’a Atisanoe) from Kailua, who posted an 11-4 record in his first tournament in the juryo division.

Obituaries

• Visitation Conducted for Muriel Merrell, page 2. Muriel Merrell, who became deeply involved in postwar Japanese American community affairs, passed away at her Los Angeles home on Jan. 17. She served as Los Angeles Ikebana International chapter president, introduced the Sansei debutante ball, and was a two-term Hollywood JACL president.

Commentary

• Little Tokyo Life (No. 3): Still a Challenge, by Harry Honda, page 3. Harry Honda continues his research into when the term “Little Tokyo” first appeared in print, examining historical sources including the 1929 Japanese College Students Assn. annual and Eliot Grinnel Mears’ 1927 study of West Coast Japanese communities. He notes that Mears’ book uses terms like “Japtown” but never “Little Tokyo,” leaving the search ongoing.
• Nutrition and the Japanese Stature, by Jin Konomi, page 4. Jin Konomi’s Moshi-Moshi column explores how nutrition, not genetics, explains why postwar generations of Japanese Americans are taller than earlier generations, citing a 1950s Japanese government survey of school lunch programs. The column traces the historical decline in Japanese stature during the Tokugawa era due to peasant food deprivation under feudal rule.
• Individual Initiatives, page 4. This editorial praises the grassroots redress efforts of individual JACLers across the country, including Takeshi Kubota of Reno lobbying Senate Republicans, Charles Nagao’s work with New Jersey legislators, and Sam Yada’s Rohwer memorial that drew a letter from President Reagan. It argues that while coordinated national strategy led by JACL’s redress director John Tateishi is essential, individual initiative plays a crucial supplementary role in the campaign.
• East Wind: Tid Bits from Japan, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani shares observations from a trip to Kyoto, noting the absence of graffiti on Japan’s subway system compared to the U.S., and offering tips about riding the Shinkansen bullet trains. He also describes Japan’s thriving used-car parts trade and tactile sidewalk markers designed to assist blind pedestrians.
• Nutrition and the Japanese Stature (continued), by Jin Konomi, page 5. Konomi speculates about how Japanese height might have developed differently had the exuberant, outward-looking Azuchi-Momoyama Era continued, noting the period’s exotic foreign foods and cooking methods introduced via trade. He concludes that Japan’s WWII defeat paradoxically helped the nation reconsider its approach to nutrition and food enjoyment.
• Life as a 1930s Field Laborer, by Mamoru Uyehama, page 5. Uyehama recounts his hardships as a Japanese bachelor farm laborer in California’s San Joaquin Valley during the 1920s and 1930s, describing exploitation by labor camp bosses and gambling merchants amid low wages and irregular work. He explains that paradoxically, wartime evacuation and Chicago resettlement improved his life, allowing him to marry and be treated as an equal.
• From the Frying Pan: Chronicle of My Mother, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reviews “Chronicle of My Mother” by Yasushi Inoue, translated by Jean Oda Moy, a book of three essays describing the author’s mother’s descent into senility and memory loss. He praises the translation’s smooth, natural flow and the universal theme of a family’s patient care for an aging parent.
• Letter: MIS Volunteers, by Akiji Yoshimura, page 7. Yoshimura identifies and provides details about the 19 Nisei volunteers for the MIS Language School photographed at Amache Relocation Center in December 1942, describing their subsequent war service and honors including Kenji Yasui’s Silver Star. He challenges Cliff Uyeda’s characterization of their motivations, arguing the Nisei were misunderstood on both sides of the Pacific.
• Letter: Masaoka’s Suggestion, by Ed Suguro, page 7. Suguro challenges Mike Masaoka’s proposal for JACL to promote Japanese language education and serve as a Japan-America relations liaison, questioning the practicality and wisdom of such involvement. He raises concerns about JACL effectively becoming a lobbying group for Japan and questions whether Japan or the U.S. government has even requested such representation.
• Women Leaders in JACL: Statistics Tell the Story, by Irene Hirano, page 7. Irene Hirano, chair of the Women’s Concerns Committee, presents three years of data showing women are significantly underrepresented in JACL leadership positions at national, district, and chapter levels. She argues that active recruitment efforts, not just policy statements, are needed to increase women’s involvement in leadership roles.
• Letter: ‘Issei Dream’, by Teru Kanazawa, page 7. Kanazawa criticizes National JACL President Floyd Shimomura’s commentary “Rekindling the Issei Dream,” arguing it mischaracterizes Issei immigration motives as pursuit of wealth rather than economic necessity. The writer contends that pursuing greater wealth and prestige for Nikkei at this time would be a betrayal of the Issei legacy of suffering and the ongoing need for restorative justice through redress.
• Letter: ‘Chutists’ Praise, by Victor H. Abe, page 9. Abe responds to a prior letter questioning Nisei soldiers’ loyalty by citing a 1983 resolution from the 503rd Parachute RCT Association praising the valor and patriotism of Japanese American soldiers in WWII. He notes many Nisei served in the Pacific theater and that veteran combat organizations have expressed genuine appreciation for their service.
• Letter: Cheery Thanks, by Sandi Kawasaki, page 9. Pan Asian JACL President Sandi Kawasaki shares a translated thank-you letter from a recipient of PSW district’s Christmas Cheer program, which distributed $8,750 to 350 elderly and needy individuals in 1983. The letter describes how the gift helped a recent widow find hope and resolve to become self-sufficient.
• Individual Initiatives (continued), page 10. This continuation of the front-page editorial details more individual redress efforts, including Jerrie Tsuruta’s fundraising, B.J. Watanabe’s work compiling Congressional scorecards, and Henry Kawahata and Jim Imatani’s political outreach in Texas regarding Rep. Sam B. Hall’s House subcommittee. The piece calls for continued grassroots initiative while keeping National JACL Headquarters informed.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei Experience Out of Focus in Japanese Movie, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 5. Kunitsugu reviews “Chiheisen (Horizon),” a Shochiku film directed by Kaneto Shindo based on his sister’s true story as a picture bride immigrant to California, which premiered in Los Angeles on Jan. 22. The reviewer criticizes the film’s distorted, Japanese-centric portrayal of Nisei characters and camp life, noting it lacked an authentic technical advisor familiar with the Japanese American internment experience.

JACL

• PSWDC to Convene Feb. 12 in L.A., page 6. The Pacific Southwest District Council JACL holds its first 1984 quarterly meeting on Feb. 12 at Little Tokyo Towers, hosted by Selanoco Chapter. The afternoon session will focus on discussing strategies to increase district membership.
• Nominations Open for Inagaki Chapter and JACLer of Biennium Awards, by Seiko Wakabayashi, page 9. National JACL is accepting nominations for the JACLer of the Biennium Award, honoring Randolph Sakada, and the George J. Inagaki Citizenship Chapter Award, both due by April 16, 1984. The JACLer award recognizes outstanding individual contributions to the organization, while the Inagaki award is a chapter prize of $800 for promoting better citizenship.

In-Depth

• White Wife of Former Internee Writes Novel About Camp, Postwar Experiences, page 8. Lois Morioka, a Caucasian woman married to Nisei internee Setsuo Morioka, wrote and self-published “The Long Road From White River,” a novel based on her husband’s experiences in Pinedale, Tule Lake, and Minidoka camps. Morioka spent six years researching and writing the book, which she hopes will educate the public about the injustice of Japanese American internment.
• List of Issei Terms Continues to Grow: ‘Unique’ Pidgin English, page 12. Following earlier published compilations, more examples of “Nichibei-go” (Issei pidgin English combining Japanese and English) have been submitted by readers across the West Coast. The committee notes these colorful terms reflect the hardships, humiliation, and determination of the Issei generation, and the language began disappearing after WWII internment and postwar assimilation pressures.

Military & Veterans

• Nikkei Names on the Vietnam Memorial, by Sachio Saito, page 9. Sachio Saito compiled a list of 56 Japanese American names inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial after searching for his nephew’s friend’s name, noting nearly half are from Hawaii. The accompanying list provides each veteran’s rank, branch of service, hometown, birth date, and death date along with memorial panel location.

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